KUALA LUMPUR — Brands and social media users must exercise greater responsibility when creating and sharing content involving race and culture, particularly in a multiracial society like Malaysia, said MIC Youth chief Arvind Krishnan.
His remarks came amid ongoing debate over a KFC Malaysia advertisement that was taken down following criticism over its depiction of Malaysians through ethnic stereotypes.
Arvind said companies needed to better understand the sensitivities of different communities when developing advertisements, especially as social media has become a key channel for marketing and branding.
“I think living in a multiracial country, they should be more multiracial-centric and also be careful when they know the sentiments of each other and shoot a video,” he told Scoop.
He said the responsibility extended beyond KFC, with all content creators and social media users needing to consider the possible impact of their posts on other communities.
“Not only KFC but anyone else also, because we live in a modern era where everyone lives on social media, in marketing, branding and so on.
“Anyone who shoots a video or anyone who even posts online should be responsible and they must have concern and responsibility towards other races. They shouldn’t affect other races,” he said.
Arvind also highlighted the wider issue of offensive comments and content circulating online, saying greater awareness was needed as social media platforms and artificial intelligence continued to expand.
“I think people must be more responsible and when we are growing more on social media and AI and everything, I think they should be more multiracial-centric when it comes to Malaysia,” he said.
However, he welcomed KFC’s decision to remove the advertisement, saying the matter should not be prolonged after the company had responded to the criticism.
Instead, Arvind said the episode should serve as a lesson for businesses and content creators to be more cautious when producing material involving racial and cultural representations.
Meanwhile, Pusat KOMAS said the use of racial stereotypes and culturally insensitive portrayals in advertisements remained a recurring concern among social media marketers.
The organisation said its Malaysia Racism Report 2025 documented three incidents involving stereotypes and cultural symbols associated with the Malaysian Indian community being used as marketing material.
“Judging by the resulting backlash, Malaysians clearly recognise that these portrayals are in bad taste,” it told Scoop.
Pusat KOMAS said marketing teams seeking to engage Malaysian consumers needed to understand and respect the country’s diverse cultural landscape, while avoiding outdated stereotypes that reduce communities to caricatures.
“What makes this particular advertisement especially disappointing is that it was launched in conjunction with Malaysia Day – a day intended to celebrate our diversity and shared national identity,” it added.
“Caricatured stereotypes do not and should not reflect who we are as a nation.”
The organisation also called on brands and marketing teams to adhere to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Content Code, which it said prohibits advertisements that cause offence based on race or use discriminatory caricatures.
The controversy arose after KFC Malaysia uploaded an advertisement on social media that was criticised for allegedly depicting ethnic stereotypes — including a Malay character reciting a prayer before eating KFC, a Chinese character eating with a fork and spoon, and an Indian character eating with his hands while shaking his head.
The advertisement was later removed following public criticism. KFC subsequently released another video featuring a deaf Indian woman working at one of its outlets while supporting her family. — September 23, 2026